Ski boots comprising a shell base on which is mounted an upper having front and rear portions surrounding the skier's leg are known in the art. The rear portion of the upper is articulated on the shell about a lower transverse axis, so as to pivot to the rear, thereby creating an opening sufficient for entry of the skier's foot through the rear of the boot.
Such ski boots are provided with a flexible element, such as a cable, for tightening the front and rear portions against one another, so as to enclose the lower part of the skier's leg firmly in the boot. A second flexible tightening element is engaged at the interior of the boot and passes above the instep of the skier's foot so as to press the foot downwardly and rearwardly when the element is tightened. This second element hence assures tightening of the foot in the region called "short perimeter of the heel."
In known rear entry boots, the internal tightening element constitutes a completely closed buckle connected to an adjusting mechanism mounted on the outside of the boot, at the back of the rear portion of the upper, for the purpose of enabling the tightening element to be placed under traction once the foot is inside the boot. A device is provided for adjusting the tension of the element according to the requirements of the skier.
A ski boot of this type has the disadvantage that, because the internal tightening element forms a closed buckle, it requires, for its utilization, the uncomfortable and burdensome operation of crimping tubes on the two free ends portions of the cable constituting the tightening element. Moreover, in order to adjust the tension or tightening element of such boots, it is necessary to pull down the operating lever so as to gain access to the adjusting means; this manipulation is not always easy for all types of skiers.